Kaeng Krachan Dam & National Park, Petchaburi, Thailand

Thailand has some fantastic national parks, where the environment has been protected, along with the living habitat, for decades. Well before it became fashionable to be eco friendly, Thailand was looking after its natural heritage. This may be because of the threat imposed by the logging industry or even the effects of tourism, but what visitors can now enjoy are areas of prime tropical rainforest and the potential to see some rare bird and animal species. Covering nearly3,000 square kilometers of mountainous land with spectacular valleys, Kaeng Krachan rates as one of the finest national parks.

The park is closed to visitors in the rainy seasons of August, September and October. This period gives the rainforest time to recover from any damage. There has also been a recent policy whereby visitor numbers to the park have been restricted to ensure the land is not over run. Before heading off to the par it would be worth calling the main office in Bangkok to check on openings, or try to make the journey in the less crowded weekdays The direct park phone number is 032 459293.

Kaeng Krachan is midway on the southern Thai peninsula, near Petchaburi, which is about 115 Kilometers from Bangkok.

Getting to Kaeng Krachan

Bus

The nearest major town is Petchaburi which can be reached from the Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal. to Petchaburi. The first class air conditioned coaches leave every 30 minutes for the 2 to 3 hour journey. On weekends, the orad and bridge routes out of Bangkok tend to get very busy, so allow some time for the inevitable Bangkok traffic jam.

Car

This is a less attractive proposition unless using a chauffeured car. The traffic out to Route 4 and the road south get very busy and for drivers not used to Thai traffic in the city, it can be stressful Vans leave from Victory Monument for all the southern towns, although a bus may be more comfortable if not as quick

Rail

Trains leave the Hua Lamphang main station on the southern line. Leaving at around 8am will get travelers to Petchaburi at 10.40 in the morning, leaving plenty of time to get to the park. Fares range from 400 baht for a 2nd class air conditioned seat to the more basic 3rd class seat at 240 Baht.

From Petchaburi

Various forms of transport are available to get to the national park, and it will not be difficult to get one of the pick up vehicles or a taxi to make the 52 Kilometer journey into the park. Thee are a number of entry points, all coming of the main Route 4 road. The main center for the park is the headquarters, where the bungalows are located for overnight accommodation.

Attractions - What to see

Birds

This is one of the finest and best preserved parks in Thailand. Being adjacent to the border of Myanmar has meant less disturbance from tourism. The area is alive with birdlife, so bird watching tours are a favourite for tourists interested in seeing the many species. Its possible to see 100 different species in the forest in one day and in total there are some 400 bird types found. In the park there are some rare types such as the Ratchet-Tailed Treppee, which has only ever been seen in this national park. There are six species of hornbill, plus woodpeckers, and at night owls and nightjars.

Butterflies

Second only to the birdlife, is the vast variety of butterflies and moths. The butterfly populstion is best seen in February and March, and includes some stunning, colourful speicies.

Animals

The habitat is home to some of Asia most endangered animals, with the tiger at the top of the list. It would be quite unlikely to see the shy tiger, unless there was a very good reason for the beat to take the riosk of being out of the jungles security. Leopards are also potential sightings, but the most likely animals to be spotted would be languor’s and elephants.

Waterfalls and Mountains

The whole area is mountainous, with opportunities to trek and pitch tents high up in the mountains. Guaranteed will be some spectacular morning scenes as the ground mist lies across the valleys. The two major waterfalls are at Challonat and Thor Thip.

Kraeng Krachan Dam

The dam was made to create a water storage reservoir for the surrounding area and to control irrigation to the farmland in the lowlands. As an additional tourist attraction, the lake provides visitors with a beautifully scenic location for water based activities. Rafting, and boating on the lake are the most favourite pastimes, but simply as a place to enjoy the scenery, the lake is one of the best in Thailand.

The park headquarters are based at the northern end of the lake, where there are bungalows for rent. These can be booked online at http://www.dnp.go.th.Alternatively a reservation can be made by phone to +66 (0) 2 5620760. The bungalows are in various zones with some quite well fitted out with refrigerators and furniture. Most are fan cooled, but in Zone 4 the bungalows there have air conditioning. The most expensive bungalow is 2,700 Baht for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit for up to 9 guests.

Fees

Like most Thai National parks there is an entrance fee charged. Currently this is 200 Baht per person, for everyone. Sometimes, there is a different fee for the foreign visitor which can push it up to 400 baht. Whether this is an official price hike is open to question, but maybe it is best to be prepared for the higher cost.

Video of Kaeng Krachan